Originally published: March 27, 2013

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New York — Having already surprised the automotive world with its much-lauded ATS, Cadillac is once more looking to hit one out of the stadium with its new 2014 CTS, revealed here Tuesday night on the eve of the New York Auto Show.

Longer by five inches and riding on a 1.2-inch longer wheelbase, the third-generation CTS drops the blocky look of the former car for something far more elegant and sophisticated. Long and prominent vertical LED lights in front seem lifted from the Ciel concept and give the car an unmistakable signature. The hood is low, long and nicely creased, the roofline lower too. By using aluminum doors and other parts, curb weight is trimmed to 1,640 kilograms, some 90-kilograms less than a BMW 528i.

With 70 per cent of ATS buyers new to Cadillac, the CTS seems poised to raise that ratio even more. The rear-wheel drive car simply looks the business, looking more luxurious than many Cadillacs before, sporting a big shield grille and long flowing lines. It should make America proud.

Cadillac’s first eight-speed automatic will be paired to what appears to be a sweetheart of an engine — a twin turbo V6 certified at 420 horsepower and 430 lb.-ft. of torque. With most of the torque available low in the rpm range, the CTS will hit 96 km/h in 4.6 seconds. The 528i requires 5.8. This engine, Cadillac says, is the highest output V6 it has ever built. It is rated to achieve decent fuel economy too, at 9.4L/100km highway and 13.8 city.

A naturally aspirated 3.6L V-6 rated at 321 horsepower sits in the middle of the power offerings, matched also to the eight-speed automatic in rear-wheel-drive models (all-wheel drive models get a six-speed automatic). A 2.0-litre turbo rated at 272 horsepower and paired with a six-speed automatic is the base engine.

Certainly, Cadillac will be bringing a higher performing CTS-V into the mix at some point, but for now is introducing its first Vsport package that features 18-inch aluminum wheels wearing performance tires, a quicker steering ratio, Brembo disc brakes, a heavy-duty cooling package, selectable drive modes and a limited slip differential.

Inside, eight interior options will be available, raising the level of luxury with real wood, real aluminum, real carbon fiber and semi-aniline leather — as though someone at GM finally took notice of what Audi has been doing for some time. Cadillac’s CUE infotainment system seen on the ATS will be available in the CTS, including the 12.3-inch LCD gauge cluster. Options such as panoramic sunroof, rear sunshades, tri-zone climate control, unique ambient lighting and a 20-way power heated and cooled driver’s seat are some of the many extras available. Automatic Parking Assist, which enables the car to park itself in parallel spaces, will be standard. The CTS also gets an elaborate suite of safety features.

Production of the 2014 CTS begins this fall in Lansing, Mich. We hope the twin turbos are produced first — and can’t wait to see what this engine does to the stock tires.